Derek Bailey & Han Bennink
Derek Bailey & Han Bennink

Considered to be one of two Holy Grails on Strata Records, Maulawi Nururdin, 180 Proof presents a stellar reissue featuring a previously unheard instrumental version of ‘Street Rap’. This 180 Gram vinyl album has been remastered from the original reel to reel master tapes and is presented with an alternate cover artwork done by Ge-ology and Mr. Krum.

Baast returns with a follow-up to their cosmic jazz funk opus “Dimensions”, with another set of esoteric “Kosmiche Musik” on their new offering “Bazaar.” Channeling the same energy filtered through a more “worldly” vibe, the heavy focus is on polyrhythmic percussion producing a decidedly Middle Eastern flavor in a similar vein to Krautrock standouts Embryo and Passport.The brainchild of R. Scott Dibble and DJ Johnny Basil, Baast’s live performances are a mix of theatrical rock, jazz improv, and extended funk sojourns once they lock into a groove. 2016 has been a coming out party of sorts for once-underground hero DJ Johnny Basil. After a 20 year hiatus from producing music, hunkering down and delving deep into his esoteric studies while amassing one of the more impressive record collections focused on library music, his ascension has been ignited by his exposure to a young and eager audience as a tour DJ for cult surf-rock crusaders The Growlers. Leaving crowds mesmerized throwing down hard Disco and Funk while exploring the groove alongside them gyrating and slithering shirtless on stage. Drawing a visually striking resemblance to Iggy Pop, and sartorially decked in ‘70s vintage regalia, he’s inspired a write-up from Vice outlet Thump dubbing him “The Man You Wish You Were”, putting him in the running as a real-life “Most Interesting Man In The World”.Fresh from being named by the OC weekly staff as “Best Local Celebrity of 2016” and loaded with several new projects outside of Baast including his recently released excursion into Nu-Disco with the aptly named Basil & Rogers and Sleaze/Glam Rock outfit Kandi Jones, as well as several upcoming appearances in music videos and fashion shoots, DJ Johnny Basil’s long-overdue “shine” is only destined to burn that much brighter.

High Pulp returns with a brand new installment of covers, on Mutual Attraction Vol 2. A spiritual jazz journey, interpreting arrangements by Arthur Verocai, Cortex, and Casiopea The 8-piece fusion band pays homage to tracks and artists that have woven themselves into their DNA.

Seance Centre: ...INCANTATIONS is a collection of sixteen visual and sonic experiments centred around the idea of score as spell, curated and produced by Séance Centre’s Brandon Hocura and Naomi Okabe.A spell and its incantation are distinct, but conjoined by a symbolic, almost umbilical force. A spell is a totem text, a material call for change — a seed, a recipe, an instruction, a potential. The incantation of a spell gives it life, brings breath to body, raises hairs, moves minds. For this project, eight spell-scores were created by visual/text-based artists for a musician/composer to incant. Taking a wide interpretation of what can be considered a score, these works include concrete poetry, collage, painting, drawing, spell-poetry, instructional art, and recipe. The resulting sound works give voice to these evocative “texts”, residing in the liminal space between musical form and magical utterance.